Scholarships can be confusing for parents, but they can save them thousands of dollars. There are different forms of scholarships, but all of them are essentially gifted money for college. Unlike loans, scholarships don't have to be repaid. Some scholarships are paid to the student, while others go directly to the university. Scholarships are awarded by government, clubs, charities, businesses, schools, and other organizations.

Who can get scholarships?

Scholarship isn't limited to straight-A students, and many students who believe that they aren't academically qualified fail to apply for scholarships in their schools. There are, however, different types of scholarships for all students, including those with less-than-perfect academic records. There are athletic scholarships, scholarships aimed at students in a particular field of study -- why, some providers give scholarships just for living in a particular state or city. Another misconception about scholarship is that only college-bound high school seniors are allowed to apply for awards. Scholarship is available to all levels of college study, from freshmen undergrads to graduate and even PhD students.

Scholarship Grants for Nursing Students

There are four types of financial aid available to meet the educational expenses of nursing students: scholarships, grants, work study and education loans. Most nursing students use a combination of all four to fund their education.

Scholarships are awarded based on everything from special abilities to your religion. There are many sources of scholarships, and an Internet search should uncover a number of scholarship providers.

Here's how to get the scholarship you want:

• Take initiative

If you want to a scholarship, you'll need to do the legwork yourself – no one's going to track you down just to give you a scholarship. Look for scholarship grants whose criteria you meet, and then contact the provider and request a scholarship application packet. Applications may be requested by e-mail by sending in a self-addressed stamped envelope. You'll never get a scholarship if you don't try, so be proactive in requesting information for yourself.

• Be punctual

All scholarships providers set deadlines to which you must adhere, or else you'll lose any chance of getting the scholarship. Don’t miss the deadlines – if you can submit all the required materials before the due date, do so.

• Be organized

Good organizational skills can really pay off. Try to keep your applications ordered by deadline date and give yourself plenty of time to complete the applications and send them in before the due date. Always keep letters of recommendation and transcripts on hand so you don’t have to get new copies every time they are required for an application. By doing this, you'll not only save time but also money. Create copies of your completed applications before you send them in and then file them in folders with labels containing the deadline dates, mailing addresses and phone numbers of the scholarship provider. Call before the deadline to see if your scholarship application was received. If your application was lost in the mail, you can send the extra copy that you made.

• Be persistent

Don’t expect for the scholarship process to happen overnight. You must be diligent about looking for new scholarships to apply for. Remember that the more applications you send to various scholarship providers, the better is chance of obtaining a scholarship.

• Be optimistic

Stay positive about yourself and your chances of getting a scholarship. Your hard work and the time spent searching for scholarships will eventually pay off.